Hey everyone! I'm upgrading my setup to an AM5 platform from my old AM4 build, which I put together back in 2020. I've got an Asus x870 TUF motherboard and just bought an ADATA XPG 16GB DDR5 RAM (5600MHz, CL36). I'm looking to add another stick of RAM at the same speed, but most options I find have higher latencies, like CL38 or CL40. I'm curious if using a RAM stick with lower latency will cause any major issues, such as system crashes or blue screens of death, besides the system defaulting to the slower timing. By the way, I'm considering either the R7 7800x3D, R7 9800x3D, or possibly the R7 9700x for the CPU. For context, my current rig has a R9 5900x with 32GB DDR4 2666MHz (overclocked to 3200MHz) and an RTX 5070. Appreciate any advice!
2 Answers
It's important to note that the listed latencies don't necessarily mean they will perform those timings under all conditions. RAM is designed to run at various speeds based on your motherboard's memory controller settings. If you run into stability issues, you could consider adjusting settings in BIOS or monitoring your memory performance to see how they behave mixed together.
Mixing RAM with different latencies can work, but it's not without risks. Generally, the system will run at the speed and timing of the slowest RAM stick, which means you might not get the full performance from your faster stick. Issues like crashes or instability could happen if the mismatched RAM doesn't play nice together, but many people run mixed RAM without any problems. Just make sure you test the stability after installation, and overclocking might be an option if you're up for it!
Totally agree! Just keep an eye on your system after you install the new RAM, and if you encounter any crashes, you might need to revert to stable settings.
Exactly! You can always tweak the settings as needed but be prepared for some trial and error during the setup.